grooming young skiers article

[HowieT2]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/01/04/us/AP-US-FEA-Parenting-On-the-Slopes.html?hp

 

[mriceyman]

Good article

 

[drjeff]

The only real complaint that I have with that article is that it doesn't mention the importance of teaching proper on hill etiquette from day 1! IMHO, even with young very kids if you start with the basics such as looking uphill before you start, and slowing down before trails merge and in lift areas, they get it, and we all benefit from it as they get older!

 

[crank]

Nahh, article has it completely wrong. You throw the kids out there in the snow and the cold and the ones that stick get to reap the lifetime of benefits from skiing that we all do. What's with all this mollycoddling of young kids...keeping them warm, fed, lessons. Hell you go out and burn your gloves through clinging for dear life onto a rope that is hell bent on pulling your arms out of your sockets and then you straight-line down the hill until you either stop or hit something...same result - you stop. Eventually you learn to turn and be a snotty brat getting in your elders way while hitting each and every jump from top to bottom. Half days at Aspen? Same runs and instructor every tome so the kids feel comfy? The writer obviously did his research at Okemo.

 

[Greg]

Nahh, article has it completely wrong. You throw the kids out there in the snow and the cold and the ones that stick get to reap the lifetime of benefits from skiing that we all do. What's with all this mollycoddling of young kids...keeping them warm, fed, lessons. Hell you go out and burn your gloves through clinging for dear life onto a rope that is hell bent on pulling your arms out of your sockets and then you straight-line down the hill until you either stop or hit something...same result - you stop. Eventually you learn to turn and be a snotty brat getting in your elders way while hitting each and every jump from top to bottom. Half days at Aspen? Same runs and instructor every tome so the kids feel comfy? The writer obviously did his research at Okemo.

Seriously? :-o

I've had good success with the keep the kids comfy and happy approach. Let them determine the course of events of the day - how many runs, when to take a break, go home early if they want to, etc. Patience is key. Sometimes as people very comfortable on skis, it's hard to remember how scary and unnatural it all can be at first. Of course once off the bunny hill, it's important to encourage them to advance. Stay out an extra run or two, try harder trails, etc.. The biggest key is repetition. They need to understand it's a lifestyle. Worked for me!

 

[legalskier]

Nahh, article has it completely wrong. You throw the kids out there in the snow and the cold and the ones that stick get to reap the lifetime of benefits from skiing that we all do. What's with all this mollycoddling of young kids...keeping them warm, fed, lessons. Hell you go out and burn your gloves through clinging for dear life onto a rope that is hell bent on pulling your arms out of your sockets and then you straight-line down the hill until you either stop or hit something...same result - you stop. Eventually you learn to turn and be a snotty brat getting in your elders way while hitting each and every jump from top to bottom. Half days at Aspen? Same runs and instructor every tome so the kids feel comfy? The writer obviously did his research at Okemo.

Don't waste any time applying for that ski patrol position that just opened at Snowbasin. :wink:

 

[SkiFanE]

I have 3 kids that love skiing, 15, 11 and 6. Hubby and I love it, and selfishly HAD to get them skiing if we ever wanted to do it alot as parents. We succeeded. Each kid had their own needs/gripes/complaints. Each day required a different situation, depending on weather, mood, sleepiness. At 7am whatever I planned for day could be shot to hell by 10am. If handwarmers keep them on slopes longer, handwarmers they get. We buy cheap boxes of candy to stash in our pockets, amazing how much longer they'll ski for a few gummy bears. Coddling? Maybe, but they each skied 40-50 days last year.

So we did it all because we want to ski as much as possible. It's a crapshoot if the kids will like it, all ours do. But heck..I fell in love with it in 1970 with handmedown ancient equipment, fast rope tows with yarn knit mittens and blue jeans. Just gotta do whatever works for you.

 

[crank]

OK, I admit my first response was a bit tongue in cheek. I made sure my son was warm and properly outfitted. I also had a pocket full of candy to get him through those late afternoon runs. (A good sugar rush can mean the difference between carrying a crying 4-year old sown in your arms or having a happy kid ski to the lodge.) However, I also believe that people are taking it to too far in the coddling direction. Whatever, the key to raising good skiers is taking them skiing and getting the mileage in.

 

[MV Frank]

my little cousin, about 5 years old, thought it'd be funny to "play dead" for a while after he fell during a ski lesson, and the instructor was freaking out. Needless to say their family was banned from the resort because ski patrol did not think it was so funny.

 

[wa-loaf]

my little cousin, about 5 years old, thought it'd be funny to "play dead" for a while after he fell during a ski lesson, and the instructor was freaking out. Needless to say their family was banned from the resort because ski patrol did not think it was so funny.

Really? They're going to ban someone because a 5 year old played a dumb stunt? What mountain is this?

 

[MV Frank]

Really? They're going to ban someone because a 5 year old played a dumb stunt? What mountain is this?

This was snow summit in california. And yeah, the family is no longer allowed back. Resort was pissed.